


In New Light

by AceTrainerAlicia



Series: The Adventures of Jaina: A Faith Renewed [6]
Category: Runescape
Genre: F/M, Interspecies Romance, Mild Sexual Content, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 15:52:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11039376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceTrainerAlicia/pseuds/AceTrainerAlicia
Summary: She was still surprised to find herself here, to see him from a new perspective. (Short follow-up scene to Waiting for the Lord's Return)





	In New Light

Screams echoed throughout the air as the battle continued to rage within the massive crater that once had been a beautiful forest. From within the encampment at the north edge of the swampland, General Moia gazed down into the crater, surveying the carnage below as her forces engaged a squadron of White Knights. The troops were performing quite intelligently today, she could see—there were several taking advantage of the skirmish nearby to gather and deliver divine tears while the enemy knights were preoccupied with a Kinshra platoon.

“General! My lady!”

Moia turned around, her eyes flashing with a bright pink glow as she scrutinized the pair of humans who now stood before her, both panting. “You have returned at last, agents. Have you found any trace of the World Guardian yet?”

The first agent shook his head. “What we know so far is that her brother has joined our forces in the name of balance. I have searched his home and ensured that he is plied with beer when I question him, but he has given no leads as to where she might be located, or if she too remains loyal to Guthix. I believe he may be in contact with her, however.”

“Then continue to investigate him, and ensure he does not fall on the battlefield. If he is in contact with her, he remains the most promising lead to her whereabouts we have.” She turned to the second spy. “And what of you? Have you learned anything new?”

“The Guthixians do not know her whereabouts either, General,” he answered sadly. “Some of the druids spoke of how the shock and grief of Guthix’s death struck her harder than most, and suggested she may have hidden herself away somewhere to recover. They seemed to believe that she will seek them out sooner rather than later, possibly even heed the call of that strange bedsheet-wearing woman in town who is calling for an end to the worship of gods.”

“I do not believe she would be the sort to hide away from a conflict, given her reputation,” Moia said, shaking her head. “Surely she would wish to free the humans here from the yoke of Saradomin and his nonsensical ways of order and stagnation, or, at the very least, to fight beside her dear brother.”

“Is it possible that she is not hiding away out of fear, but that she does not want to be found?” the first spy remarked. “She would have been taught to hate our lord Zamorak from a young age, even if she also grew to hate Saradomin. She may think our lord will raze her hometown to the ground.”

“I am not saying we will shirk our duties, my lady,” said the second, “but is it possible that we could win this battle even if we do not find the World Guardian and gain her support?”

“How this battle goes will depend, to a great extent, on the strength and prowess of our mages,” Moia replied, glancing over at the battlefield to nod as a White Knight was incinerated in a fiery blast. “We do not know what power Guthix granted her, but a mage of her power and skill would turn the tide of battle easily in our favor. The Saradominists’ superstitions regarding magic may well work to our advantage.”

“Will that necessarily hold them back, though?” questioned the first spy. “They, too, have sent out agents to search for her.”

“And there are those of the townsfolk who believe she is obligated to join Saradomin’s forces in order to save them and their homes,” the second added. “We cannot rule out the possibility that she may come to feel the same way.”

The half-Mahjarrat sorceress’ eyes flashed dangerously. “Then it is all the more imperative that we find her and sway her to our cause first. If Saradomin recruits her first… no, we must not entertain that thought. We will find her, my lord, I swear it!”

~***~

_“Hm? Why do you say you don’t want to get married?”_

_“It’s… well, a lot of things.” The adventurer made her way up the rope and pulled herself up onto the rooftop to join her companion. “I don’t want to be tied down, stuck in one place, having to stay in a house and cook and clean all day instead of go adventuring and see the world. And then there’s those marital duties you have to fulfill…” She visibly shuddered._

_Ozan tilted his head quizzically at her. “You find that repulsive? Surely you have had urges or desires, have felt drawn to the sight of handsome men, before?”_

_Jaina shook her head. “No, I… I mean, I’ve seen handsome men and noticed them—such as yourself, even—but I don’t understand why anyone would want to do… well, that. I get why it’s important; you have to have families and children, so somebody has to do it, but… why would I want to, unless I really wanted a child?”_

_“Ah, how should I explain it?” Ozan closed his eyes, pondering something. “The thrill, the passion, the excitement that fills you in the presence of your beloved, the sparks that fly when your hands touch, the flame that ignites within from a kiss… but if you have truly not felt such things yet? Hm, yes… when you fall in love, then you’ll understand!”_

_“Really?” Jaina blinked, unsure what to make of what he had described. “All I have to do is fall in love, and then I’ll magically understand it?”_

_“Precisely,” the thief replied, his chocolate brown eyes lighting up as he smiled broadly. “Trust me—you’ll know what I mean when you fall in love! Magical is a fitting way to describe it indeed.”_

_Suddenly Jaina heard another voice close by, a deeper voice, intoning a low, soft Infernal prayer that seemed to reverberate throughout her very being—much like the warmth of the desert air that surrounded her on all sides, as if closely embracing her. She turned to look towards the sound of the voice, squinting to try to make it out…_

She blinked awake in a dark room beneath a large thick bedspread, curled up beside something radiating a warm and comforting aura that was nothing like the air of the desert at all. The last traces of the dream-memory were already fading away rapidly, replaced by the realization of the soreness she felt all over. Her insides ached, her legs ached, and she didn’t think it would be easy to try to stand up. Instinctively she drew closer to the warm thing, and as she felt her skin pressed up close against the firm, smooth, sleek… flesh?... of it, she realized she was naked.

A slight chill surged through her and she huddled closer to the warm thing, a swirling storm of questions brewing all at once in her head. Where was she? Where were her clothes? Where was her bag? Was she really awake, or still dreaming? It didn’t quite feel like she was in a dream...

“Ah, you are awake…”

A pair of strong arms embraced her and pulled her closer, and as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, Jaina straightened up, relaxing and feeling at ease as she realized the answers were all right under her nose. That wasn’t a something beside her, but a someone—and not just any someone, but the very someone she’d been looking for before!

The events of the previous night flooded back to her all at once. The way he had gazed at her, the way he had touched her… the passion and excitement that had overtaken her apprehension sooner than she had expected… that piercing dark gaze that seemed to see right through her, those oddly alien features that she now wished she could see more clearly, the magical warmth he exuded… the very magical warmth that surrounded her now!

“Azzanadra? Good… good evening!” She smiled shakily up at him. “Or is it good morning? I… I don’t know…”

“It is indeed morning now,” Azzanadra said, brushing a few strands of stray hair out of her face, “and before you ask, you find yourself in my private quarters, very near the temple proper. You fell asleep at my side, so I brought you here to sleep beside me. Your bag and clothing are over there.” He gestured to the bedside table.

“I… I appreciate it…” Jaina smiled nervously, her cheeks heating up a bit. “So this is where you’ve been staying all this time?”

“Indeed, even I must rest and sleep from time to time.” He sat up in the bed, guiding her upright with him so she could continue to lean against him, and magically lit a lantern on the bedside table. “You are free to come and go here as you wish. The entrance is up a hidden staircase just past the temple chambers—there is a switch concealed on the wall that will open the doorway. I must also inform you that Zaros has requested we keep our relations to private places like these. He is fully aware of what has transpired between us.”

“You mean… he saw that? He saw all of it?” She turned pale, shivering at the thought of having upset Zaros. “Is he angry? Does he not approve?”

“On the contrary, he was simply surprised at this turn of events, no more, no less.” His gaze once more seemed to pierce right through her. “You need not fear having angered him! He merely pointed out that there is a time and a place for everything, and the temple is hardly a suitable place for such things anyway.”

Jaina was still a bit shaken at the thought that Zaros had seen that, but she breathed a sigh of relief anyway. “Yes, of course… I’m still surprised it happened too…”

She could see his alien features more clearly in the light of the lantern, from the row of ridges lining his head to the small chin spikes that looked almost beard-like to the large spines on the back of his muscular shoulder. How odd it still was to be able to see his headspines—it was one thing to see Wahisietel’s, and quite another to see Azzanadra hatless. And with how significant it was that she was allowed to touch them… Somehow he seemed even more fascinating to behold in this soft light, and her curiosity was already overtaking her as she reached around to touch the largest spine.

Immediately all of his shoulder spines grew rigid, and he uttered a surprised sound that was halfway between a growl and a gasp. She gasped as well and pulled her hand back at once before she could manage to prick herself on the hardened edges.

“Ah, you need not be alarmed, Jaina,” Azzanadra said quietly, a slight smile flickering across his face. “The spines a Mahjarrat possesses on his or her back are meant to react that way to touch. They served primarily as a natural defense in hand to hand combat—and possibly to deter and wound attacking muspah, if our legends are true—but you will soon find that they serve quite another purpose as well!”

“Do you mean, then, that I ought to touch those spines?” When he nodded, she slowly reached for them again, running her fingers along them very slowly and gently so as not to cut herself. He uttered a deep, guttural purring noise and closed his eyes, and the spines began to relax and even soften beneath her touch.

As she continued to stroke his spines, delighting in the purrs and growls that escaped his throat, Jaina recalled a book she had read extensively several times in order to prepare for her wedding night, detailing advice to new brides on how best to perform their marital duties. It had been written, of course, from a Saradominist perspective, and presumed a human husband, but the advice it offered had been useful then, and it was certainly of use to her now.

_Do not be hasty, or attempt to join in flesh too quickly! Look upon every facet and feature of your husband, and do not hesitate to touch everything you can, saving the physical joining for last. Seek out his most sensitive spots and get a feel for what delights him most, and encourage him to explore you just as thoroughly._

She leaned in closer, her lips tenderly meeting his in a searing kiss, and he purred deeply into it as she slid her hand up to his headspines. She could feel his magical warmth surrounding her as she pressed closer, wanting to feel every inch of him intimately once more…

And then she was taken quite off guard and gave a surprised yelp as he gently and easily pried her off him upon breaking the kiss. “Not yet, Jaina,” he chided, his tone suddenly starkly serious. “Now is not a good time to go further.”

She stared at him in confusion, feeling like she’d been punched in the gut. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, it is simply too soon to engage in further relations,” Azzanadra said matter-of-factly, looking her over. “You did experience considerable pain—clearly, it will take time for you to adjust to me, and you also need time to recover in order to walk properly. We will require fragrant oils to make things more comfortable for you before we do this again.”

Jaina made a mental note to drop by the apothecary later to pick up some oils, but the shock and sting of his sudden rejection still hadn’t worn off. “I, well… I do feel a little sore, but… I didn’t mean to look like an impatient floozy or anything…”

“Humans do have unusually high urges, as I recall,” Azzanadra remarked, looking pensive. “That seems to be why there are so many of your kind. It is not that I was implying that you lack the necessary self-control; on the contrary, this is as new for me as it is for you, and we must approach matters sensibly and wisely.”

The adventurer nodded, the knot in her stomach still clutching sharply. Of course he knew what he was doing; he’d sired children in the past and had thousands of years’ worth of knowledge, whereas she didn’t really know much of anything about what she was doing yet. A small part of her still felt unworthy of him, but she pushed the thought out of her mind—he truly did feel the same as she did, and any thoughts of him and the new bond they shared were preferable to thinking about Guthix or those who would force her to fight in Lumbridge.

“Can I… can I stay here longer?” she finally asked, tentatively drawing closer to him once more. “I wish… I just wish to be with you… If you’d show me around, please?”

Azzanadra’s stern gaze softened slightly, his dark garnet eyes seeming to pierce her again as they traveled down her form. “Gladly, my dear. I will make sure you can walk properly before you go! Bear in mind, however, that my private quarters lack a kitchen or food storage, and that you must not delay eating for too long.”

Pulling back the bedspread, he stood up and offered her a hand, easing her off the bed and to her feet when she accepted it. She wobbled slightly from her legs still aching a bit and had to embrace him in order to gain her balance.

As she rested her head comfortably on his chest, she couldn’t help but think about how at ease she felt in his presence, how right it felt to be by his side, how content she would be to stay with him like this. Here she wasn’t the World Guardian, and he wasn’t the high priest of Zaros—she was simply Jaina, and he simply Azzanadra, and their differences didn’t matter. Here she knew she didn’t have to worry about the future, because he was here by her side, and together they could bring back Zaros and set things right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was sitting unfinished in Word for awhile and I figured it might as well be worth finishing! It was originally going to be a bit longer but I found it worked well as a single short scene, and the occasional brief ficlet isn't a bad thing.
> 
> I was a little concerned with the description of Jaina waking up coming off as a little bit rapey, which was obviously not my intent--I meant merely for her to be a bit dazed and half-dreaming! Having Azzanadra rebuff her actually wasn't in the original draft, but it fit rather well and shows his sterner and more practical side, as well as keeping things from becoming too fluffy.
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!


End file.
